Call
for Performers: Yoni Ki Baat 11 2015

Yoni ki Baat 2015, an array of amazing performances, expression, and sisterhood, is scheduled in San Francisco for the weekend of April 17-19.

We are now calling for performers!

There are approximately 10 pieces that are in need of performers who identify as South Asian women. The available pieces vary in length, style, and structure, and cover all sorts of experiences - from marriage to pregnancy to mourning, sexual assault to sexual pleasure, health issues to yoga appropriation, and much more. If you've never performed in YKB before (or never performed at all), this is your chance!

All skill levels welcome.

Definition of terms:

South Asian: From or a descendent of people from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Afghanistan, and the diasporaWoman: Self-identifies as a woman, whether cis, trans, or otherwise; open to all sexual orientations

(Note: a couple of the pieces do refer specifically to the vagina, a few are frank about sexual activity, and a couple of the pieces do talk about sexual assault. We do have a really wide and diverse range of pieces, including stuff that isn't specifically about gender or sex, so give it a shot!)

If you are interested in performing, you must be available for biweekly rehearsals from early February until March, a final dress rehearsal on April 5, and the performance weekend, April 17-19.

Auditions will take place on:

Monday, January 19, 2-5 pm in Berkeley

Thursday, January 22, 7-9 pm in San Francisco

Please email ykb@southasiansisters.org for an audition time slot, the available pieces, and the audition address, as well as any other questions.

Kindly help by spreading the word and sharing our Facebook event too. (Note: RSVPing on the Facebook event does not constitute RSVPing for an audition slot.)

There are also other ways to be involved with YKB asides from performing, such as promotions, media, and volunteering closer to the date. Do let us know if you are interested in helping out.

Yoni Ki Baat - History

Yoni ki Baat has always been about gifts. It began
as a gift, it was shared as a gift, and it continues through gifts.

The first gift came from Sapna Shahani, who shared the idea for the
show one afternoon at a South Asian Sisters meeting in Berkeley in 2003.
The Kimaaya Theatre Company in Bangalore, India, had just organized the
first-ever performance of The Vagina Monologues there, and Sapna mused,
"Why don't we just create a totally South Asian version of the
show?" From that instant on, we couldn't shake the idea. A bunch of
Desi women standing on stage talking frankly about our bodies, our
desires, and our sexual experiences? Genius! But how could we make it a
reality?

Our next gift came from Eve Ensler, creator of The Vagina Monologues,
the inspiration for our show. Getting permission to Desify her idea
could have been tricky, but once we were able to get in touch with Eve
personally, she not only gave us her permission, but sat down with us
and provided us with feedback on our script (and, even more amazingly,
asked for our comments on pieces she was working on for The Good Body).
She continues to support our work and we are extremely grateful.

Some of the most important gifts we have received have come from our
brilliant writers and performers. At first, we were hesitant - would
South Asian women really feel comfortable sharing their stories about
sexuality, and standing on a stage talking about them? We are thrilled
that the answer was a resounding "YES!"

Over the years, we have received over one hundred submissions for our
scripts. We have had over 50 beautiful and talented women perform with
us. If they had not shared their gifts with us, Yoni ki
Baat would not have been possible.

There have been other gifts. The universities, bars, and cafes that
have donated performance and rehearsal spaces. The printing presses that
have printed our fliers free of charge. The support we have received
from other Desi organizations, including Narika, Maitri, and Trikone. The fact that, even in the
conservative South Asian community, the word-of-mouth surrounding our
show has been almost uniformly positive (Hey, it wouldn't be worth it if
we couldn't create just a little bit of controversy, right?).

We were thrilled when other organizations and university groups began
contacting us to find out how they could put on their own versions of
YKB. Sharing our scripts became our way of passing along the gifts we
have received. Through these collective efforts, we have raised over
$8,500 for organizations around the country that aid survivors of
domestic violence.

Each gift we have received has been a blessing, and each blessing has
made us stronger. It is our hope that through this strength the YKB
movement will continue to grow and to give, and to help more women stand
up, speak out, and claim what is rightfully theirs - a life free from
violence and full of pleasure.